Agricultural communities formed over time united around the 10th-12th centuries under the leadership of the chief, the so-called Saudeleur.

And it was the Saudeleurs who began building Nan Madol around 1200 CE. The Saudeleur dynasty was the first organized government to unite the Pohnpei population, ruling from around 1000 to 1628. They ruled with a strong hand, pulling tribute from the rest of the island's society to maintain Nan Madol.